Hayden double murder trial starts in Portland

Joel Hayden is accused of gunning down the mother of his four children and a longtime friend. He's charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Renee Sandora and Trevor Mills in the town of New Gloucester back in July of 2011.

Investigators say it was jealously that drove Joel Hayden to kill the pair. They say he was constantly accusing Sandora of cheating on him.

Prosecutor Donald Macomber laid out the state's case against Hayden in front the jury. It includes physical evidence, witnesses and even information from one of the victims shortly before she died.

"At 6:40pm Renee called 911 from her cell phone. She told the dispatcher my boyfriend just shot me. I'm at 322 Bennett Road and he shot his friend too. She said, he's going to kill me in front of my kids," Macomber told jurors.

Joel Hayden and Renee Sandora had four children together, two boys and twin girls.

Hayden spent time between his hometown of New Bedford, Masschusetts and a mobile home in New Gloucester he shared with Sandora. Investigators say Hayden was intensely jealous and even hid in the woods across the street to try to catch her cheating.

Shortly before the shootings investigators say Sandora had it out withhim, accusing her of being unfaithful. She told him to leave the home. Hayden's longtime friend Trevor Mills traveled to Maine to try to calm him down. Investigators say Hayden shot Mills four times, then shot his girlfriend twice. Sandora's parents told investigators Hayden thought their daughter was having an affair with Mills.

Hayden's attorney told jurors investigators focused only on Hayden after the shootings, ignoring other evidence.

"The police jumped to a conclusion very early on. They jumped to that conclusion and they ignored alternative theories and alternative pieces of evidence," said Defense Attorney Sarah Churchill.

A key witness in the case testified Monday. Joel Hayden and Renee Sandora's son, who was seven at the time, testified he saw Hayden shoot his mom.

The trial is expected the continue through the week and perhaps into early next week.